Photographic Memory
by Kristen3
Summary: While organizing some old boxes, David finds a photograph from his parents' past and learns a bit of their history. Birthday one-shot for Andrea (iloveromance).


**Author's Note:** I got the idea for this from a book I read. It seemed appropriate to make this a late b-day story for Andrea ( **iloveromance** ), as thanks for all of her support and reviews! :)

Niles looked around at the boxes that filled the storage room. He and Daphne had put off organizing it for days now, but they'd decided it had to be done. Still, the project seemed daunting.

As if reading his mind, Daphne looked at him. "How are we going to do this?"

 _Good question_ , Niles thought. But, out loud, he said, "Maybe we could ask David to help us."

Daphne looked at her husband as if he'd lost his mind. Their son was at an age now where video games and texting were far more important than anything his parents might want him to do. They both knew what his reaction would be if they tried to solicit his help.

"I know what you're thinking. But I also know how Frasier and I were at that age. We may not have had the same gadgets he does, but we were pretty much the same. Looking back, though, I wish we'd spent more time with our parents. Especially Mom."

Now Daphne reached over, squeezing his hand. He rarely spoke of his mother, but she knew the loss had clearly taken a toll on him.

Niles took her hand in his, leading her out of the room. "The sooner we ask him, the sooner we get past the sighing and the _I don't want to_ 's," he said.

They walked to the door to David's room. They could hear the unmistakable sound of his video game. Daphne knocked. "David?" At first, there was no response, just the sound of more aliens meeting their end in the game. Daphne knocked harder this time. "David?" She decided not to wait for an answer, opening the door as she continued to knock.

With an audible sigh, David paused his game. "What?"

"Your mom and I are organizing some boxes in the storage room. We'd like your help."

The look on David's face was unfortunately familiar. He was clearly waiting for his parents to say they were kidding.

"I'm afraid this isn't exactly a request," Niles calmly said. He looked over at Daphne, seeing her nod in agreement. They were united, which meant David had no choice. He knew it.

"Fine." He turned off his game, not bothering to hide his reluctance. He followed his parents back to the storage room. His eyes widened as he saw how many boxes there were. "What is all this?!"

"Just some things your father and I have gathered over the years. We've known each other over twenty years now, that's why there's quite a lot in here."

Once again, David looked at his parents, certain this was their idea of a joke. When he saw no response, he knew his only option was to get busy. With a shrug, he bent down, opening the box nearest to him.

Niles and Daphne were grateful David had taken part in this with a minimum of complaint. They opened up another box, which turned out to be full of baby pictures of their son. Soon, they were lost in their own world, oohing and aahing over how adorable David had been.

David was amazed at the junk his father had held on to. Receipts, tax forms, and all sorts of paperwork he didn't even bother to read. He simply put it all in a pile, planning to ask his father to go through it later. But when he reached the bottom of the box, he found a bunch of old pictures. Many were of his father and Uncle Frasier. Nothing surprising there. Even though his uncle was now living in Chicago, David knew his father called his brother on the phone weekly. But then he saw a photograph that was clearly different. "Mom, what's this picture?"

Her son's voice brought Daphne to the present. She went over to him, taking the photograph from him. "Oh," she said. "I remember this night like it was yesterday. Niles, look."

Intrigued, Niles walked over. The picture in his wife's hand was from a Christmas party at his brother's apartment. He felt a momentary chill upon seeing that the woman beside him in the photo was not Daphne, but Mel Karnofsky, who had been his girlfriend at the time. "I remember that Christmas," he said. "Mel and I nearly broke up that night."

"Who's Mel?" David asked, now suddenly curious.

"Um...just a woman I used to go out with." Niles sniffled, in case this lie of omission triggered a nosebleed. Luckily, none came.

Daphne sensed that the last thing Niles wanted to do was tell David all about his relationship with Mel. "What I remember about that night is when you asked me to come out on the balcony. I thought you were going to tell me how you felt that night. I was prepared to let you down gently." She laughed. Back then, she never could've imagined she'd be here.

"But I didn't give you the chance," Niles said. "I told you I needed your Christmas present back. I gave you Mel's, since I thought I would never see her again. But then we got back together."

Daphne smiled, the memory playing in her mind. "You saw that I was chilly, and you put your jacket around me. I think that was when I started to love you."

Niles moved closer to her, taking her in his arms. "I wish I'd known it then. Things would've been so much easier."

"We did go on a roller coaster ride, didn't we?" She remembered running away from her wedding, meeting Niles in the Winnebago. That was the start of their relationship, but even then, things were far from easy.

"That's for sure," Niles said. "I've often thought of what I'd do differently, knowing what I do now. But I always come to the same conclusion: It doesn't matter how we got here, as long as we're together and happy."

David watched, mesmerized, as they kissed, apparently no longer aware of his presence. He wasn't sure how this had happened. One picture had led his parents to a bunch of memories he didn't understand. Gradually, he decided he could no longer bear the watch this. "Uh...guys?"

The spell was broken. "Right," Daphne said. "We've got some work to do."

For a few moments, the three returned to the boxes they were supposed to be organizing. But David found himself still thinking about what his parents had said. There was a question he couldn't help asking. "So...why do you guys do that? Like, you see one picture, and you're in another world or something."

Niles laughed. He realized how it must seem to David. "Your mom and I didn't exactly take the most direct route to becoming a couple. There were things that happened to both of us along the way. You're probably a bit too young to understand all of it now, but someday, we'll tell you the story, and you'll see why Mom and I can't let go of our past. It reminds us to be grateful for what we have now." He looked at Daphne, speaking more to her than to David.

Daphne smiled. "Your father's right. Every time I look at him, or see you smile, I remember how lucky I am to be married to him, and to be your mom."

David still didn't really understand what his parents were saying, but suddenly, he couldn't wait for the day when he found out. Their story, he realized, had led to him. For that reason, it would be worth learning about.

 **The End**


End file.
